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The alleged sergeant-at-arms of an outlaw motorcycle gang accused of being part of a trio who threatened a man with a gun has a job working on North East Link, a court has heard.
Dylan Mallia, 28, faced the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday charged with affray after a confrontation at a house in Harkness.
He applied for bail, leading to his partner testifying in court that he was employed as a machine operator for Symal on the Carroll government’s $26 billion North East Link project.
Former premier Jacinta Allan previously declared there was “no evidence” bikies had cashed in on the road project as she defiantly stared down calls for a royal commission into the Big Build.
But Mallia’s partner said he had worked for Symal for “five or six years”, as his defence lawyer argued his stable employment was a reason he should be granted bail.
Mallia’s partner said she was aware he was part of the Finks bikie gang.
Police allege Mallia, Isekeli Walls and another unknown person pulled up at a house on Indigo Link in a Ford Ranger and threatened a man in the property’s driveway on June 30.
A police summary of allegations read out in court said CCTV had captured the unidentified person producing a silver handgun and pointing it at the victim.
Mallia and Walls then allegedly went back to their vehicle and returned with a black bag and a glass bottle. The victim armed himself with a knife, police say.
A police prosecutor said Mallia picked up a ladder from the front of the property and threatened the resident with it before the trio drove away.
The special operations group arrested Mallia and Walls on Tuesday. The latter appeared at the Wyndham Magistrates’ Court earlier on Wednesday and did not apply for bail.
Magistrate Gerald Lethbridge released Mallia back into the community on the grounds he could spend more time awaiting trial than a potential sentence for affray.
Police had opposed bail, alleging Mallia was an unacceptable risk and was the sergeant-at-arms of the Finks’ West End chapter.
“The current offending is brazen, unsophisticated and shows a contempt for the law,” the police prosecutor said. “He simply does not care for the consequences of his actions.”
Lethbridge said the prosecution “will not have a lot of difficulty” proving Mallia was at the Harkness home, but noted his defence might argue he was unaware or not complicit in his co-accused brandishing a weapon.
“Of course, it’s very premature,” Lethbridge said, “but it is an overwhelming prosecution case in terms of the most serious and aggravated aspects of it.”
North East Link and Symal were contacted for comment.
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Lachlan Abbott is a crime reporter at The Age. He was previously a city reporter and covered breaking news.Connect via email.From our partners
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